The Republican Party presidential candidate, Donald Trump, yesterday won the American presidential election.
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) affirms that Trump’s victory has serious implications for Muslims in the United States and elsewhere around the world. His Americanisation of virtually everything coupled with his tortuous isolationism and a pathological obsession with Islamophobia calls for grave concern.
The contemptuous treatment of Muslims travelling in or out of America has long been a matter of serious concern to advocates of free movement and Allah-given fundamental human rights. Coupled with this is the horrendous policy of rendition whereby Muslims are kidnapped enroute to other destinations and forcefully taken to the dreaded Guatemala to face America’s notorious waterboarding and other forms of inhuman treatment.
The advent of Donald Trump is the last straw that broke the camel’s back. The American President-Elect has divided America along racial and religious lines. He threatened to close mosques. He also swore to give Muslims a special data base in order to control terrorism.
Trump may be an iconoclast, but the Americans who voted for him were not deaf. They heard him loud and clear. They heard all his threats. The victory of Trump, particularly coming hot on the heels of Brexit, means that Western democracies are jettisoning globalization for nationalism.
MURIC respects the wish of Americans to stand by their national interest. We call on Muslims around the world to also respect the wish of the American people to be left alone.
Nonetheless, we reiterate our avowed rejection of racist and hate speeches. We disown violent groups like Al-Qaidah and ISIS who instigate Muslims to kill Americans and attack American and Western interests. Qur’an 49:13 is a categorical vote for the universality of mankind and Islam is a religion for all nations. Therefore no nation should be set aside for hatred.
We urge Muslims around the world to nurse no malice against Americans over Trump’s victory and the likely fallout. It should be noted that few Americans support Trump’s weird policies. He won the election via the electoral college but received fewer votes than Hillary Clinton. The victory of Trump reveals the paradoxical underbelly of the world’s greatest democracy. American minority has had its way.
Finally, we appeal to Nigerian Muslims to suspend planned trips to the United States until they know which way the cat will jump. Any Nigerian Muslim who ignores this advice is on his own. We also advise immigrant Muslims residing in the United States to return to their countries or be prepared for harsh treatments including increased Islamophobic attacks. Americans must be allowed to fix their own country.